EUGENE, Ore. – The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art on the University of Oregon campus will host “SLOW: The Taste of Authenticity” the opening evening event of the 2011 Oregon Truffle Festival on January 28, 2011. A celebration of the slow food traditions of Italy and Oregon’s magnificent native truffles, the evening promises to be an aesthetic feast for the senses as well as the palate. The multilayered program tells a story connecting the food we eat with the communities we live in.
Much of the evening’s program is inspired by the critically acclaimed monograph, “SLOW: Life in a Tuscan Town,” by photographer Douglas Gayeton. Gayeton will be on hand to discuss his process for producing the evocative collection of writings and photos in his book, which was conceived after a sojourn in the Tuscan town of Pistoia. Emblematic of a way of life that has come to be known as “Slow Food,” the photographs from the book create a pictorial exhibition for guests to enjoy during the evening.
“Gayeton's photographs depict the arc of time, an emerging and evolving story comprising not one, but many fertile moments of traditional Italian life surrounding the daily pleasures of growing, harvesting, preparing and savoring the foods of the season,” said Leslie Scott, director of the Oregon Truffle Festival. “We are so pleased he is part of this year’s event.”
As partner to the stunning photography, a truffle sensorial analysis will offer guests the opportunity to further understand the many virtues of the truffle and its significance to food culture. Alessandro Mondello from Mondo Tartufo, the widely known international truffle association in Italy, will be on hand to explain the different sensory notes that comprise a truffle’s flavor profile at various stages of ripeness. Mondello, an agronomist, sommelier and international wine judge, will act as a guide and tutor as he deciphers the complexity of truffle ripening and maturation.
The evening will be crowned by a delicious, truffle-infused feast. Guest chef Stephanie Pearl Kimmel and her staff at Marche Restaurant are the architects of Friday night’s menu. Served in a casual farm-to-table style with an Italian flair, the meal will include small plates of simple, rustic Italian-inspired dishes.
“SLOW: The Taste of Authenticity” is offered for weekend registrants only and serves as an introduction to many of the special guests that will entertain, educate and enliven the experiences of the weekend.
For more information and to register for the Oregon Truffle Festival, visit here.
SOURCE Oregon Truffle Festival